A Personal Confession of a New Kind of Pentecostal

In the Spirit of the Ancient Church and the Fire of Pentecost

Preamble

From the earliest generations of the Church, believers have gathered to confess their faith, to correct abuses, and to recover the purity of the Gospel in times of confusion. Across centuries, whenever the witness of Christ was dimmed by human ambition, fear, or distortion, voices arose from within the Church to call God’s people back to humility, holiness, and the life of the Spirit.

In this same ancient tradition of confession and renewal, I offer these affirmations. I speak not as one standing apart from the Pentecostal movement, but as one formed by its worship, strengthened by its prayers, and shaped by its testimony among the poor and the forgotten. I have seen with my own eyes how the Holy Spirit has comforted the afflicted, restored the brokenhearted, and given dignity to those whom the world has cast aside. I have witnessed the fire of Pentecost in small congregations, migrant fellowships, and communities who possess little except their faith in God.

Yet, as in every age, distortions have also arisen — teachings that burden the vulnerable, practices that commercialize what is holy, and forms of ministry that confuse spectacle with spirituality. These shadows grieve me, for they obscure the radiant simplicity of the Gospel and mislead those who seek God with sincerity.

In continuity with the Church’s long history of self-examination and renewal, I set forth this confession as an act of faithfulness. It is not a condemnation, but a call — a call to return to the heart of Pentecostal spirituality: to the love of Christ, the freedom of the Spirit, the authority of Scripture, the pursuit of holiness, and the work of justice and mercy in a broken world.

Therefore, in the presence of God and in the company of the global Church — past, present, and yet to come — I offer this confession as a witness to the way of the Spirit in our time.

The Confession of a New Kind of Pentecostalism

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord,

and in the Holy Spirit,

the Giver of life,

who is poured out upon all flesh.

I confess that the Holy Spirit is given to the whole Church,

in all its branches, traditions, and tongues,

and is not the possession of any one movement.

I confess the unity of the Body of Christ,

and hold all who call upon His Name

as brothers and sisters in one faith,

one baptism, and one Spirit.

I confess the call to holy dialogue with all people,

that truth may be sought in humility

and charity may prevail over fear.

I confess that the surest sign of the Spirit is love —

patient, merciful, enduring —

by which the world shall know the disciples of Christ.

I confess that the Gospel is to be proclaimed

with grace and gentleness,

never with arrogance or domination.

I confess that miracles, signs, and wonders

belong to the sovereignty of God,

and must be held with humility

and directed toward Christ alone.

I reject every form of commercializing the sacred,

and confess the Gospel to be a gift,

not a product; therefore, I reject the prosperity gospel in all its forms.

I confess the call of the Spirit

to justice, compassion, and mercy,

and to the defense of the poor,

the oppressed,

the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.

I confess the dignity of every human person,

bearing the image of God,

and therefore, defend human rights for all.

I reject fear-based theology and spiritual manipulation,

for the Spirit of the Lord is freedom

and not coercion.

I confess that giving is an act of worship

that must arise freely from the heart,

and not from fear, compulsion or manipulation.

I confess that people belonging to sexual minorities are my neighbors,

and I reject their demonization in all its forms.

I confess the call to be a peacemaker in the world,

to seek reconciliation wherever hostility reigns.

I confess respect for all cultures and religions,

and enter dialogue without deceit or hidden intent.

I confess that every Christian tradition, including my own,

must confront and abandon all inhuman and unjust practices.

I confess my duty to care for creation,

the work of God’s hands.

I confess the Holy Scriptures

as inspired by God

and given for the revealing of grace,

not for the propagation of fear.

I confess that leadership in Christ’s Church

is service, not status;

sacrifice, not entitlement;

love, not domination.

I confess that the Church is the people of God,

called into communion with Christ and with one another,

and that its truest witness is love lived in community.

Amen.

So I believe,

and so — by the grace of God —

I will seek to live.